Non-cylindrical bead for caulking tube

ABSTRACT

An example tube for receiving a fluent material includes a generally large container portion and a nozzle molded with the container portion. The nozzle has a dispensing tip shaped to dispense a non-cylindrical bead.

BACKGROUND

This application relates to a caulking tube that has the tip of its nozzle shaped to create a non-cylindrical bead.

Caulking tubes are known, and typically have a frustro-conical nozzle that can be cut off to allow caulking to be dispensed onto a work surface, typically to seal the surface. As an example, shower and bath fixtures, windows, etc. are often provided with caulking.

In the prior art, the caulking tube has its nozzle formed as a frustro-cylindrical shape. Thus, the resulting bead is also cylindrical. An installer places the bead along the surface to be sealed, and then must smooth the surface to fit into the area to be sealed. As an example, in many such locations, the area to be sealed would be formed as a right angle, and thus the cylindrical shape does not conform to the right angle.

Various tools are used to flatten and smooth the bead after it has been deposited. The tools include removable nozzles that are placed over the frustro-cylindrical calking tube nozzle. The removable nozzles smooth the surface of the bead and are typically clamped or press fit to the calking tube nozzle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An example tube for receiving a fluent material includes a generally large container portion and a nozzle molded with the container portion. The nozzle has a dispensing tip shaped to dispense a non-cylindrical bead.

The example tube for receiving a fluent material may include a container portion and a nozzle extending from the container portion. The nozzle has a rearward portion and a forward portion extending from the rearward portion. The rearward portion is shaped to form a cylindrical bead, and the forward portion is shaped to form a triangular bead.

The example tube for receiving a fluent material includes a generally large container portion and a rearward nozzle portion having a cylindrical cross-section extending from the container portion. A forward nozzle portion has a triangular cross-section extending from the rearward nozzle portion. The container portion is molded together with the rearward nozzle and the forward nozzle.

These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the inventive caulking tube.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inventive caulking tube.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the inventive caulking tube.

FIG. 4 shows a view of the tip of the inventive caulking tube after a portion of the tip has been cut away to allow dispensing of materials.

FIG. 5 shows the dispensing of a bead onto a work surface.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another example caulking tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An example caulking tube 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As known, a space 22 within a container 23 receives a fluent material such as caulking. A plunger 24 is moved along the container 23, and the caulking is dispensed through the nozzle 26.

The nozzle 26 has a forward area 34 that includes a non-cylindrical shape to provide a non-cylindrical bead. The forward area 34 forms the dispensing tip for the caulking tube 20. As seen in FIG. 1, an upper flat surface or top wall 32 is spaced away from an apex 27. The container 23 and nozzle 26, including the forward area 34, are molded together from a polymer material. In one example, the nozzle 26 is injection molded together with the container 23 to secure the nozzle 26 relative the container 23.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 2, sidewalls 28 and 30 form a triangle with top wall 32. As can be appreciated from FIG. 3, the walls 28, 30, and 32 are generally symmetric in this disclosed embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a portion of the walls 30 and 28 cut away to allow dispensing of material through the nozzle 26. As shown in FIG. 5, when cut, a portion of the top wall 32 lies over the bead 42. As can be appreciated from FIG. 1, the apex 27 extends further away from the central axis C, as one moves toward the container 23. Thus, the size of the bead 42 can be controlled by making the cut as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 at a selected location along the length of the apex 27. However, along the entire length of the apex 27, the bead will be non-cylindrical. As shown, it will be generally triangular, with the surface of the top wall 32 flattening the bead. Now, as shown in FIG. 6, when there is a generally perpendicular relationship between the two surfaces 44 and 46 that are to receive the bead 42, the bead can be put down in roughly the appropriate shape. Thus, reworking the shape of the bead is no longer required.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, in this example, a rearward area 36 of the nozzle 26 has a cylindrical cross-section. As known, some caulking accessories, such as caulking guns, are designed to receive nozzles with cylindrical cross-sections. Providing a cylindrical portion of the nozzle 26 simplifies the use of the caulking tube 20 with such accessories.

Molding the nozzle 26 with the container 23 facilitates smooth transition of the fluent material from the container 23 to rearward area 36 of the nozzle 26. As fluent material moving from the rearward area 36 has a smaller cylindrical cross-section that the fluent material within the container, the rearward area 36 transitions the fluent material from the container 23 into the forward area 34 of the nozzle 26. In addition, if a cylindrical bead is desired, an installer may choose to remove the forward area 34 so that fluent material exits the caulking tube 20 from the rearward area 36.

The nozzle 26 includes transition faces 38 that are generally aligned with the end of the container 23 and are generally perpendicular to the central axis C. In this example, the rearward area 36 extends rearward from the transition faces 38, and the forward area 34 extends forward from the transition faces 38.

FIG. 7 shows another example caulking tube 20 a prior to removing a portion of the nozzle 26 to allow dispensing of materials. The tip portion of the nozzle 26 is molded, for example, at an angle relative the transition faces 38. The molded angle generally corresponds to the appropriate angle for cutting the nozzle 26 when removing the tip to dispense material. Molding the nozzle 26 in this way helps a user judge the appropriate angle for cutting the nozzle 26, which is often a angle causing the top wall 32 to extend further from the tube 20 a than the apex 27.

Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention. 

1. A tube for receiving a fluent material comprising: a generally large container portion; a nozzle molded with said container portion; and said nozzle having a dispensing tip, said dispensing tip being shaped to dispense a non-cylindrical bead.
 2. The tube of claim 1, wherein said dispensing tip is formed of a plurality of generally planar sides to form the non-cylindrical bead.
 3. The tube of claim 2, wherein there are three such generally planar sides such that the bead will be generally triangular.
 4. The tube of claim 3, wherein an apex between at least two of said sides extends radially outwardly at an angle away from a central axis of the nozzle, such that the size of the triangular bead can be selected by cutting the at least two sides at a selected location along a length of said at least two sides.
 5. The tube of claim 1, wherein said nozzle includes a portion having a cylindrical cross-section.
 6. The tube of claim 1, where said portion having a cylindrical cross-section terminates at one end in at least one transition face.
 7. The tube of claim 1, wherein said dispensing tip extends from at least one transition face transverse to a central axis of the nozzle.
 8. The tube of claim 1, wherein said generally large container portion is for holding caulk.
 9. A tube for receiving a fluent material comprising: a container portion; a nozzle extending from said container portion; and said nozzle having a rearward portion and a forward portion extending from said rearward portion, said rearward portion being shaped to form a cylindrical bead and said forward portion shaped to form a triangular bead.
 10. The tube of claim 9, wherein said forward portion is formed of a plurality of generally planar sides to form the triangular bead.
 11. The tube of claim 10, wherein an apex between at least two of said sides extends radially outwardly at an angle away from a central axis of the nozzle, such that the size of the triangular bead can be selected by cutting the at least two sides at a selected location along a length of said at least two sides.
 12. The tube of claim 9, wherein said nozzle is molded with said container portion.
 13. The tube of claim 9, wherein said forward portion extends from at least one transition face transverse to a central axis of said nozzle.
 14. The tube of claim 9, where said rearward portion terminates in at least one transition face transverse to a central axis of said nozzle.
 15. The tube of claim 9, wherein said forward portion has a generally circular cross-section.
 16. The tube of claim 9, wherein said rearward portion has a generally triangular cross-section.
 17. A tube for receiving a fluent material comprising: a generally large container portion; a rearward nozzle portion having a cylindrical cross-section extending from said container portion; and a forward nozzle portion having a triangular cross-section extending from said rearward nozzle portion, wherein said container portion is molded together with said rearward nozzle and said forward nozzle.
 18. The tube of claim 17, wherein said forward nozzle includes an angled dispensing tip. 